actually picked up my copy and have played a few games, here are my thoughts: - i like this version much better than 2011. first thing i noticed, you can actually play zone D. that was my biggest complaint w/ 2011, seemed like cover 3 zone would get raped every time on a TE/inside WR post route. glad that they improved the ai here ... - 2011 was all about the passing game. didn't matter what position the QBs body was in, could be running away from a WR throwing across his body and still complete a pass. 2012 is seems like most of the passes are ducks. it has a much more realistic feel, you really have to anticipate WR deep routes and make your throw before the WR gets there. if not it seems like the D catches up or the pass goes in to the dirt ... - running game is tougher, but more realistic. i think 2012 play calling will be more conducive to players that commit to the run so that they can get in to manageable 3rd down situations. i'm finding it much harder to get the edge on toss plays, but also easier to get 3-4 yards w/ iso up the gut. again, i like this cause it feels a little bit more like real football ... - speed has been downplayed. 2011 if your WRs/HBs/LBs/CBs didn't have elite speed they were pretty much dead in the water. like in a m2m match up with a CB like Leon Hall (90 ovr guy in my online franchise) vs a shit WR w/ 95 speed ... no chance for Hall. or if a MLB like David Harris is trying to check Steve Slaton or some fast RB out on the flats, again NO CHANCE. no obv speed is great and i always try to have elite speed at every position, but i felt like the difference between a 89 speed guy and a 95 speed guy was too drastic. if that 89 speed is on D it was a huge detriment ... anyone else notice these differences? i start off with NYJ in our franchise, 2011 i traded a lot of D players quick cause they were slow and old and only got slower (Bart Scott, Calvin Pace, Leohnard) but this year i think i'm sticking with my squad for a while ...
Toss plays suck. Counters work well. Like NCAA, they really improved the run game this year. It's still annoying that db's jump routes easily, before the receiver has even made his cut. I agree with you about speed ratings though, and I like it. The scouting feature is still annoying. I like the idea of potential but if I have a receiver with great size and good ratings across the board, then I draft him and he has D potential, it makes me rage.
this is the team i drafted for my second online franchise. took CJ first, got Vilma in the 5th or 6th round, snapped up my CBs (Cromartie, Wilson, Jenkins) early, got lucky that McCoy was still around (Madden beast btw). like my squad a lot, 15 A pot players and 23 B, still struggling to pass though while Ponder develops ... Detroit Lions OvrNoNamePosHeightWeightBirthdateExpCollege 93 81 Calvin Johnson Jr. WR 6'5'' 236 lbs 09/25/1985 5 Georgia Tech 91 51 Jonathan Vilma MLB 6'1'' 230 lbs 04/16/1982 8 Miami 88 25 LeSean McCoy HB 5'11'' 208 lbs 07/12/1988 3 Pittsburgh 86 74 Wade Smith LG 6'4'' 296 lbs 04/26/1981 9 Memphis 86 31 Antonio Cromartie CB 6'2'' 203 lbs 04/15/1984 6 Florida State 85 81 Dustin Keller TE 6'2'' 248 lbs 09/25/1984 4 Purdue 84 31 Jairus Byrd FS 5'10'' 200 lbs 10/07/1986 3 Oregon 82 75 Bryan Bulaga RT 6'5'' 314 lbs 03/21/1989 2 Iowa 82 26 Josh Wilson CB 5'9'' 192 lbs 03/11/1985 5 Maryland 81 68 Jared Veldheer LT 6'8'' 312 lbs 06/14/1987 2 Hillsdale 81 72 Glenn Dorsey RE 6'1'' 297 lbs 08/01/1985 4 LSU 79 62 Chilo Rachal RG 6'4'' 315 lbs 03/15/1986 4 USC 78 70 Eric Wood C 6'4'' 315 lbs 03/18/1986 3 Louisville 78 30 Reggie Smith SS 6'1'' 200 lbs 09/13/1986 4 Oklahoma 77 21 Mike Jenkins CB 5'10'' 198 lbs 03/22/1985 4 USF 77 55 Koa Misi LOLB 6'3'' 251 lbs 01/17/1987 2 Utah 76 99 Aldon Smith ROLB 6'4'' 263 lbs 11/30/1989 1 Missouri 76 47 Kevin Burnett MLB 6'3'' 240 lbs 12/24/1982 7 Tennessee 75 78 Tony McDaniel LE 6'7'' 305 lbs 01/20/1985 6 Tennessee 74 12 David Gettis WR 6'3'' 217 lbs 08/27/1987 2 Baylor 73 91 Robert Ayers LE 6'3'' 274 lbs 09/06/1985 3 Tennessee 73 7 Christian Ponder QB 6'2'' 222 lbs 02/25/1988 1 Florida State 72 59 Dannell Ellerbe MLB 6'1'' 228 lbs 11/29/1985 3 Georgia 72 33 Daniel Thomas HB 6'0'' 230 lbs 10/29/1987 1 Kansas State 72 25 Mikel Leshoure HB 5'11'' 227 lbs 03/30/1990 1 Illinois 71 65 Will Rackley LG 6'5'' 303 lbs 10/11/1989 1 Lehigh 71 60 Steve Vallos C 6'3'' 311 lbs 12/28/1983 5 Wake Forest 70 74 Kyle Love DT 6'1'' 310 lbs 09/14/1986 2 Mississippi St. 70 11 Deon Butler WR 5'10'' 182 lbs 01/04/1986 3 Penn State 69 22 Don Carey SS 5'11'' 192 lbs 02/14/1987 3 Norfolk State 68 26 Jonathan Wade CB 5'10'' 198 lbs 03/27/1984 5 Tennessee 68 25 Marcus Hudson SS 6'2'' 200 lbs 11/15/1982 6 N.C. State 67 91 Trevor Laws DT 6'1'' 304 lbs 06/14/1985 4 Notre Dame 66 27 Lorenzo Booker HB 5'10'' 191 lbs 06/14/1984 4 Florida State 66 93 Jason Worilds ROLB 6'2'' 262 lbs 03/03/1988 2 Virginia Tech 66 97 Everson Griffen RE 6'3'' 273 lbs 12/22/1987 2 USC 66 82 Clay Harbor TE 6'2'' 252 lbs 07/02/1987 2 Missouri State 65 54 Quan Sturdivant MLB 6'1'' 241 lbs 12/05/1988 1 North Carolina 65 72 Joe Barksdale RT 6'4'' 325 lbs 01/01/1989 1 LSU 65 77 Zach Hurd RG 6'6'' 316 lbs 09/30/1988 1 Connecticut 64 28 Nolan Carroll CB 6'1'' 202 lbs 01/18/1987 2 Maryland 64 12 Jerrel Jernigan WR 5'8'' 185 lbs 06/14/1989 1 Troy 64 34 Keiland Williams FB 5'11'' 225 lbs 08/14/1986 2 LSU 63 8 Dan LeFevour QB 6'3'' 230 lbs 03/19/1987 2 Central Michigan 63 93 Kenrick Ellis DT 6'4'' 346 lbs 12/10/1987 1 Hampton 63 45 Henry Hynoski FB 6'0'' 257 lbs 12/30/1988 1 Pittsburgh 62 29 Darrin Walls CB 6'0'' 190 lbs 06/20/1988 1 Notre Dame 62 5 Dan Bailey K 6'0'' 198 lbs 01/26/1988 1 Oklahoma St. 62 50 K.J. Wright MLB 6'3'' 246 lbs 07/23/1989 1 Mississippi St. 59 66 Frank Kearse DT 6'4'' 311 lbs 10/28/1988 1 Alabama A&M 59 88 Ronald Johnson WR 5'11'' 199 lbs 08/03/1988 1 USC 57 86 Jeff Cumberland TE 6'4'' 260 lbs 05/02/1987 2 Illinois 56 51 Chris White MLB 6'2'' 240 lbs 01/15/1989 1 Mississippi St. 50 72 Kellen Heard LE 6'6'' 355 lbs 10/17/1985 2 Memphis 50 57 Adrian Moten ROLB 6'1'' 228 lbs 04/22/1988 1 Maryland 44 6 Ryan Donahue P 6'2'' 193 lbs 03/17/1988 1 Iowa